Friday, January 8, 2010

1st Prototype Box

Well, after an initial outlay for a bone folder, exacto knife, and yard stick, I was able to create my first box.

That's it, so far...not much more to report. Well, except I need to find some better adhesive than Elmers Glue. Rubber cement maybe?

Oh, yeah...and it turns out the whole "label on box" thing was...um...inaccurate. I don't know where the hell I got that idea. My wife assures me it was NOT from her. Hmmm...

Anyway, I'm tempted to pick up some more poster board from Staples and just practice making boxes while watching play-off games tomorrow. A pack of ten 22x28 sheets will make ten boxes and costs $5.50 or so. I'm sure I can find a use for 'em later, right?

I was thinking of getting some binder clips to help hold the folds down till the glue dried, but some big clamps would probably make the thing work easier.

As a long time miniatures painter (and a one time envelope stuffer in my youth), I find this kind of assembly line stuff fairly easy to do once you get a system in place...fun even!

But I'm weird like that.

However, I decided NOT to assemble any more boxes till I figure out how I'm going to get the cover art on the thing...might stop by Kinkos later and see if they can do color printings on a 22x28 poster board. I'm guessing not...at least not for the price I want to pay.

Elmer's ought to be more than adequate for gluing cardboard and paper. I've done a lot of papercraft, and unless there's some issue you're having that I'm not accounting for, it should be fine for what you need to do. It works great with porus materials, stays flexible for a long time, and is non-acidic, which is also good for the longevity of your boxes.

Wood glue IS a bit stronger then elmers, but is essentially the same substance: polyvinyl acetate. Seems like overkill to me, but since it's probably not that much more expensive you can go for it if it makes you feel safer about your glue joints.

Don't use rubber cement, it doesn't form a permanent bond and in a few months your boxes would spontaneously dismantle themselves. I've seen it happen with my own eyes.

Elmer's should be fine for what you are doing, as BigFella says. But if you want other options, check out what your local craft store has in their glue selection. I've used Perfect Paper Adhesive for several paper projects. It's designed specifically for paper crafts (and costs a little more as a result), but I found that I like it better than using Elmer's. But that's just me, YMMV.